Preview — Please Don't Stop the Music
by Jane Lovering

Please Don't Stop the Music

Jemima Hutton is determined to build a successful new life and keep her past a dark secret. Trouble is, her jewellery business looks set to fail - until enigmatic Ben Davies offers to stock her handmade belt buckles in his guitar shop and things start looking up, on all fronts.

But Ben has secrets too. When Jemima finds out he used to be the front man of hugely successful IJemima Hutton is determined to build a successful new life and keep her past a dark secret. Trouble is, her jewellery business looks set to fail - until enigmatic Ben Davies offers to stock her handmade belt buckles in his guitar shop and things start looking up, on all fronts.

But Ben has secrets too. When Jemima finds out he used to be the front man of hugely successful Indie rock band Willow Down, she wants to know more. Why did he desert the band on their US tour? Why is he now a semi-recluse?

And the curiosity is mutual - which means that her own secret is no longer safe ......more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published
February 1st 2011
by Choc Lit
(first published January 31st 2011)

Community Reviews

Wow... Just wow! I am almost speechless about how much I loved this book.

I have to admit that I was rather sceptical at first, but since it won the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year award I wanted to give it a go. By the time I was 20 pages in I was 100% hooked!

There is so much abut this book that is simply brilliant - the honest and hilariously funny dialogue, a brilliant cast of characters, and the hints to the secrets were weaved throughout the story like a master.

Oh, the hero's story is so hearWow... Just wow! I am almost speechless about how much I loved this book.

I have to admit that I was rather sceptical at first, but since it won the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year award I wanted to give it a go. By the time I was 20 pages in I was 100% hooked!

There is so much abut this book that is simply brilliant - the honest and hilariously funny dialogue, a brilliant cast of characters, and the hints to the secrets were weaved throughout the story like a master.

Oh, the hero's story is so heartbreaking. I guessed pretty early on in the book what might be his secret but it didn't make it any less emotional and I found myself very choked up when it was finally revealed.

The author handles these two characters, and their lives, like a dream. I adored the heroine right from the start.

This has a lot of 'funny' moments, but don't be fooled into thinking it is a light-hearted romantic comedy. It is not. This isn't always an easy book to read, at time it is very dark, but it is certainly a book that will stay with you and leave you with tears and a sigh.

Reading this book is worth it, believe me! I can't recommend it enough.

The only thing I don't like about this book is the cover. The image of the girl on the front looks a bit like an afterthought, kind of out of place, and she seems very young - I thought this was a YA book when I first saw on Amazon! But, lesson learned, never judge a book... etc!

As the winner of the 2012 Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award I was expecting a great read and was not disappointed! I'm a sucker for a swoon worthy bad boy in tight jeans!

Jemima and Ben's story is sweet, sad, funny and at times heartbreaking! The story begins with struggling jewellery designer Jemima having a really bad day. A series of unfortunate events lead her to the withdrawn and also secretive former rock god Ben. Jemima is secretive and beautiful, with bucketAs the winner of the 2012 Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award I was expecting a great read and was not disappointed! I'm a sucker for a swoon worthy bad boy in tight jeans!

Jemima and Ben's story is sweet, sad, funny and at times heartbreaking! The story begins with struggling jewellery designer Jemima having a really bad day. A series of unfortunate events lead her to the withdrawn and also secretive former rock god Ben. Jemima is secretive and beautiful, with bucket loads of wit and the most difficult of pasts.

Please Don't Stop the Music is full of twists and turns which I wont ruin, but I can honestly say that I did not expect Ben's story to take the turn it did. Ben's story was so heartbreaking and well written that I cannot believe I missed Jane's clues and subtle hints as to his secret. Jemima's story was also really sad and unexpected. So many romances are obvious and overdone these days and I loved how unpredictable the plot was.

Jem's friends Jason and Rosie were hilarious and engaging (Jason gets the best lines). Unlike with most romances I cared about the other characters and wanted a HEA for them all. I wasn't convinced by the bitchy Saskia until near the end when her motives are explained!

There were times when I was beyond frustrated with Jemima's constant running or Ben's standoffishness, but altogether a great read!

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.I'm not going to lie – I'm not a fan of chic lit. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the beginning of Please Don't Stop the Music. It began as an engaging read with interesting characters. I liked that Ben Davies (how's that for a rock star name...) isn't your usual dreamy hulk of a man, and I was intrigued by the secrets central to the characters of Saskia, Ben and Jemima. But I discovered that the only reason that you can't guess the twists is that they are utterly, inconceivably unbelievaI'm not going to lie – I'm not a fan of chic lit. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the beginning of Please Don't Stop the Music. It began as an engaging read with interesting characters. I liked that Ben Davies (how's that for a rock star name...) isn't your usual dreamy hulk of a man, and I was intrigued by the secrets central to the characters of Saskia, Ben and Jemima. But I discovered that the only reason that you can't guess the twists is that they are utterly, inconceivably unbelievable.

The novel started to drag a bit for me about a third of the way in, because Jem is constantly running. Every second page she starts to pack her bags, and it gets tiresome. And then the big reveal: she was in a street gang? Really? Her style of narration just didn't indicate this at all. It reminds me of the film adaptation of Great Expectation in which Pip laughably laments how he “wants to be a gentleman,” in his little toffy-posh accent. She is just not street and it doesn't make sense.

And Ben is deaf, that's his secret. You don't know this for most of the book, probably because it makes no sense either. Absolutely none. And as a literary device it just reeks of privilege – it's patronising and actually works to diminish the experiences of real deaf people. (If you're into romance novels with believable and well-drawn deaf characters, I suggest you read this blog post and read one of the books highlighted there instead.)

But the part about Please Don't Stop the Music which I found most abhorrent was the way in which the event leading to Rosie's conception of Harry was just glossed over. She was literally raped. It doesn't make it okay that he was drunk, that it 'didn't last very long,' or that the rapist 'mistook her for his wife.' Rape.

In closing, Jane Lovering, if you're not going to adequately address the issues which confront the homeless, rape survivors, or the deaf, please stop publishing Please Don't Stop the Music....more

Jemima Hutton is a talented jewellery designer with a dark past, but after being dumped by her only buyer, she has no idea how she’s going to carry on making money. Until she walks into Ben Davies’ guitar shop and her offers to carry her belt buckles as long as they sell. Jemima is intrigued by Ben, who shies away from people, and when she learns he was once part of uber-successful band Willow Down, she can’t help but wonder why he quit in the middle of their American tour. But if Jemima wants BJemima Hutton is a talented jewellery designer with a dark past, but after being dumped by her only buyer, she has no idea how she’s going to carry on making money. Until she walks into Ben Davies’ guitar shop and her offers to carry her belt buckles as long as they sell. Jemima is intrigued by Ben, who shies away from people, and when she learns he was once part of uber-successful band Willow Down, she can’t help but wonder why he quit in the middle of their American tour. But if Jemima wants Ben to open up to her, she’s going to have to open up about her secrets, too. As they tiptoe around each other, could they finally have each met someone they’re able to fully open up to or will it be over before it’s even begun?

When I first heard of Please Don’t Stop The Music I was very intrigued to read the book. I liked the cover, I thought it sounded great and I’d already reviewed and enjoyed a couple of books with the Choc Lit publishing imprint. I was thrilled to receive a copy to review but because I’ve been very so-so about Chick Lit recently, I’ve let it sit on my shelf for a couple of weeks, only browsing the first page before putting it back again. The publication date is finally coming around, though, and I thought it was high time I read the book, and I’m pleased that I did.

As soon as I started the book, I was pulled in right from the off and we’re introduced to Jemima and those who inhabit her world: Saskia, who buys Jemima’s jewellery, Rosie her best friend along with her son Harry and Jason, who Jemima shares a studio with. I was transported instantly into Jemima’s story as she struggles to find someone to show off her belt buckles, until she happens on Ben Davies’ guitar shop, down a York side street. The sparks fly off the two since they first meet and I found their interactions very entertaining as they took the Mickey out of each other constantly. It made for amusing reading, and when I learnt that they both were keeping secrets, I was dying to know what they were and it definitely kept me turning the pages as they both kept almost blurting it all out.

I loved all of the characters. Jemima is a very intriguing character right from the off. I knew she had a secret, as the synopsis says so, and I was desperate to find out what it was. Despite her secrets, I loved Jemima, she’s very sarcastic, and she’s someone I could definitely see myself being friends with. She’s exactly what I look for in a main character and she carried the book with aplomb. At first, I wasn’t completely taken by Ben. He interested me, but the description Jemima gives of him makes him sound very skinny and a bit scruffy, but as Jemima changes her opinion of him, I did too and by the end of it, I loved him. I also really liked Rosie and Jason, Jason in particular were hilarious and they were such good friends to Jemima despite not knowing her as well as they might have liked.

Please Don’t Stop The Music is really well written, and I flew through the pages and the book just seemed to pick up steam the more I got into it. It’s told entirely from Jemima’s point of view with regular diary entries from Ben and I liked that small addition, because it gave us a bit of an insight into Ben’s head. As I’ve mentioned, both characters have big secrets and while I eventually guessed Ben’s, I had no idea of Jemima’s. We’re told a little bit about Jemima during the book, just snippets, so while I was expecting something a bit different to what you normally find in a Chick Lit book, I wasn’t expecting what I got! It was very much a surprise. I absolutely loved reading Please Don’t Stop The Music, I loved the writing style, I adored the characters and I loved the humour within the pages but most of all, I loved the romance. I’m a sucker for a happy ending, and I was rooting for Jemima and Ben throughout, practically from their very first meeting. Jane Lovering is definitely an author on my radar and I really hope she’s working on a new novel. I hugely recommend you pick up this book, it’s really great....more

Jemima (a jewellery maker) met local artist Jason when she moved to York a year and a half ago, and in turn, moved in with a new friend Rosie (who makes cards). All three share a workshop and Jason and Jemima help with Rosie's little baby boy. Rosie and Jason know that Jem is secretive and isn't interested in romantic relationships, but always question why.

When Saskia, a snotty shop owner who stocks Rosies cards and Jems jewellery, decides to drop Jem as a supplier, Jem trys to convince local YoJemima (a jewellery maker) met local artist Jason when she moved to York a year and a half ago, and in turn, moved in with a new friend Rosie (who makes cards). All three share a workshop and Jason and Jemima help with Rosie's little baby boy. Rosie and Jason know that Jem is secretive and isn't interested in romantic relationships, but always question why.

When Saskia, a snotty shop owner who stocks Rosies cards and Jems jewellery, decides to drop Jem as a supplier, Jem trys to convince local York shops to sell her things. Jem meets Ben Davies (an ex-guitarist for a hugely successful Indie rock band called Willow Down) in his music shop. He's quirky and strange, dresses oddly and doesn't like people. Ben stocks some of her belt buckles and hires her to work there part time.

Jem and Ben both have a whole bunch of secrets. Slowly they both try to figure one another out and fight their attraction.

As readers, we are kept in the dark, we don't know why Jem has no-one, or why she has nightmares, we don't know why Ben is a recluse or why he refuses to play guitar, we don't know why Saskia is attempting to ruin Jem or who is Rosie's baby's daddy.

There's plenty of dialogue. 80% of the story is told from Jems POV while the other 20% is filled with Bens diary entries. It's not one of them books that is so simple to read that you're able to skip whole paragraphs. It's British and quirky. It's a nice change to the American contemporary romance's at the moment....more

Ahh - really liked it. It's a study of the sort of damaged characters I love. I think it's a bit like my stories but there's a lot less sex in this! Some great one liners, fascinating characters. I loved the angst, the reveal, the language. A definite keeper for me. It's an ebook and I want the paperback! I don't even want to give the synopsis - you have to read it not knowing anything except for the fact that it's a sweet romance with dark secrets and it ends happily.

I bought this book on the strength of a really positive review on Dear Author and because I was looking for some smart, humorous single title romance to read.

When it arrived in the mail the day before yesterday, I read the first two pages and thought, Uh Oh. This book did not grab me. Also it's in first person, which I have a personal aversion to.

I had already gone and bought the book though, so I perservered. And so glad I did. Once the book hit its stride (and for me, that wasn't until wellI bought this book on the strength of a really positive review on Dear Author and because I was looking for some smart, humorous single title romance to read.

When it arrived in the mail the day before yesterday, I read the first two pages and thought, Uh Oh. This book did not grab me. Also it's in first person, which I have a personal aversion to.

I had already gone and bought the book though, so I perservered. And so glad I did. Once the book hit its stride (and for me, that wasn't until well into Chapter 2) it was a brilliant ride - funny, sweet, romantic and emotional. I read it until I finished it.

Jem is a believable, broken heroine. Ben is a flawed and sexy hero. His story is especially affecting -- and I won't give it away, although I did guess it quite early on, and I think most people would.

The sub-plot -- almost a mystery -- was well done, although the denoument wasn't quite as spectacular as I might have wanted, but that's probably more because I wanted the nasty Saskia to get more punishment than she did in the end.

Definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a nice, angsty bit of romance.

One thing -- it has nothing to do with the writing of this book, and I guess it's really nit-picky -- I didn't like the way the pages were laid out. The left and right margins were too wide, while the top and bottom ones were too short. It meant the text is right up close to the top of the page, but a couple of centimetres in from the edge. I don't know why I found this annoying, but it bugged me from the first page to the last. ...more

A positive review and an intriguing blurb led me to hope for a slightly unusual romantic mystery. A few pages into the book I realised that it was far, far more. Behind the smooth, captivating development of the plot and characters lies a firm, confident and very skilled hand.

Ms Lovering pulls off some extraordinary technical feats with such ease and panache that they almost slip by unnoticed. Holding back the revelation of the fiWithout a doubt, the best impulse buy of the past twelve months.

A positive review and an intriguing blurb led me to hope for a slightly unusual romantic mystery. A few pages into the book I realised that it was far, far more. Behind the smooth, captivating development of the plot and characters lies a firm, confident and very skilled hand.

Ms Lovering pulls off some extraordinary technical feats with such ease and panache that they almost slip by unnoticed. Holding back the revelation of the first-person narrator's dark secret for so long without irritating or annoying the reader was masterly, as was adding a second POV in the form of brief diary entries -- just short enough to provide a foil to the main narrative without distracting from it. And to juggle with so many traumatised personalities while keeping the dialogue completely natural -- the humour is spot-on and totally unforced, not the canned-laughter quips that infest so many recent novels.

In attempting to describe my reaction to this book, the word 'real' keeps intruding. Most books in this genre require some suspension of disbelief, some acceptance of stereotyped characters and situations. This book was different. The people and the places were utterly convincing.

I was tempted to award this book 4 stars, if for no other reason than there must have been something lacking, somewhere. But after a few minutes' reflection, I realised that the book stands complete, all loose ends tied off, all beautifully balanced. Five stars it is....more

It's strange. I absolutely adored this book when I began, was snorting out loud at one in the morning because the writing was so shockingly hilarious and the voice so fabulously strong. An unmistakeable voice which is something I highly highly appreciate in any writer but especially one writing here and now. So I loved it, loved it, loved it.

The spelling of Iggy Pop with an 'ie' kinda made me blink. But I did love the musical references. Actually I loved all the pop culture references, totally rIt's strange. I absolutely adored this book when I began, was snorting out loud at one in the morning because the writing was so shockingly hilarious and the voice so fabulously strong. An unmistakeable voice which is something I highly highly appreciate in any writer but especially one writing here and now. So I loved it, loved it, loved it.

The spelling of Iggy Pop with an 'ie' kinda made me blink. But I did love the musical references. Actually I loved all the pop culture references, totally reinforced why I vastly prefer and thoroughly enjoy UK popular literature as opposed to the US kind where the pop culture references seem boring and hackneyed. And I totally totally related to the weird attraction to our skinny muso. I loved that that emphasis was made, that he wasn't conventionally hot, that he was indeed painfully thin and still attractive. Most of all, I adored both their sarcasm, the way they bit at each other. Nothing hotter and more pleasing than that.

So I was a little puzzled that the eventual reveals didn't actually have as much power as I had thought they would. Maybe that's my own background, that what I could imagine was quite worse than what it was, at least in his case. In her case, yes, the reveal was quite shocking but again the detail was more on the tactful rather than the ruthlessly brutal. The focus really was more on our heroine's psychological scars rather than the detail of the past trauma which, okay, I can appreciate as a writer technique but I don't know, it left me kinda cold as a reader.

The sex scenes definitely had me wincing a bit with some truly horrible phrases, inadvertent I'm sure. Likewise, there was an occasional clunkiness to the sentences that made me wince, like saying "the ex-guitarist" instead of just "him" when we know full well it's our hero being indicated. Mere specks on the relative brilliance of the orb but they did make me wish I could have done a final edit of the MS before it went out.

As a result, the last half of the book left me vaguely detached, a bit impatient and nowhere as engaged as the first half. I'm not sure if that was me or the book but by god, will I be getting every Jane Lovering novel I can lay my hands on because that voice! That's quickly catapulted her into the list of auto-buy writers. *nods*

Meet Jemima Hutton - Self employed belt buckle designer who lodges with her friend Rosie and Rosie's young baby Harry.Whilst searching the streets of York for stockists for her belt buckles Jemima meets Ben Davies - One time Indie Rock Star who now hides in his little out of the way guitar shop.

Add Jason, the resident artist, Saskia, business owner (what is her hold over Jem and Rosie?) and hubby Alex and you have a mix of lovable characters all with their own secrets. Some deeper than others.

BeMeet Jemima Hutton - Self employed belt buckle designer who lodges with her friend Rosie and Rosie's young baby Harry.Whilst searching the streets of York for stockists for her belt buckles Jemima meets Ben Davies - One time Indie Rock Star who now hides in his little out of the way guitar shop.

Add Jason, the resident artist, Saskia, business owner (what is her hold over Jem and Rosie?) and hubby Alex and you have a mix of lovable characters all with their own secrets. Some deeper than others.

Ben and Jemima build up a friendship but are they really who they appear to be? Both want to get closer and delve deeper into each other's past but that would mean sharing their secret. Dare they open up?

I enjoyed the way each character's story unfolded around a series of events that forced the characters to confront their pasts and, eventually, reveal their secrets.

This Rom-com is a real page-turner littered with funny one-liners. The clues are there, but not too obvious, making it a gripping read.

Summary: The owner of the shop that sells Jemima Hutton’s handcrafted jewelry suddenly decides to drop her. Jemima trudges through the streets of York to find another store that will sell her stuff. She doesn’t have any luck until she finds the out-of-the-way music store of Ben Davies. Even though he doesn’t think his type of customers will be interested, he agrees to try to sell the music-themed belt buckle she has with her. If he succeeds, he will consider stocking her other pieces.

Ben is a mySummary: The owner of the shop that sells Jemima Hutton’s handcrafted jewelry suddenly decides to drop her. Jemima trudges through the streets of York to find another store that will sell her stuff. She doesn’t have any luck until she finds the out-of-the-way music store of Ben Davies. Even though he doesn’t think his type of customers will be interested, he agrees to try to sell the music-themed belt buckle she has with her. If he succeeds, he will consider stocking her other pieces.

Ben is a mysterious figure with a shop that has few customers. Jemima is surprised to find out that he was a in a very popular Indy band, which he left in the middle of an U.S. tour. No one seems to

First and last lines of the book are great, but everything in between is a melodramatic mess. I'm a sucker for romances with a music theme but sadly although the hero is a former rock star there are almost no scenes related to music. Just two incredibly wounded people who keep running away from each other - first he's too damaged, then she's too damaged, etc. etc. And considering the heroine is supposed to be a jeweler, wouldn't it be a good idea if the author had learned how to spell "jewelry?"First and last lines of the book are great, but everything in between is a melodramatic mess. I'm a sucker for romances with a music theme but sadly although the hero is a former rock star there are almost no scenes related to music. Just two incredibly wounded people who keep running away from each other - first he's too damaged, then she's too damaged, etc. etc. And considering the heroine is supposed to be a jeweler, wouldn't it be a good idea if the author had learned how to spell "jewelry?"

Edited: Okay, after reading the second British book that uses "jewellery," I realize that it's an American/British spelling difference, not an error. My apologies to the author, but the rating stands. ...more

I good romance story about a famous rockstar who suddenly, inexplicably quits the band and disappears into oblivion and a woman running away from her past. One day she calls into a guitar shop in York to see if they will sell her jewellery designs and meets the skinny, scruffy shop owner. I read this in 1 day and really enjoyed it.

Don't know why I bothered finishing this book, as I didn't enjoy it from pretty early on. The story line was totally unbelievable, which had me shaking my head and dismissing several of the key points. It did have a few funny lines, but not enough to make up for the poor story....

I didn't like this book - I LOVED It!!!Well drawn, deeply flawed and damaged leading characters - and a story full of twists and turns.

Both Jemima and Ben are nursing dark and deep secrets - secrets of an unusual and unexpected kind. Attracted and repelled by each other they slowly work their way through a host of trials and tribulations before the tale's satisfying conclusion.

Add a under-card of supporting characters including the vile and manipulative SaIs Unputdownable a word? It ought to be!

I didn't like this book - I LOVED It!!!Well drawn, deeply flawed and damaged leading characters - and a story full of twists and turns.

Both Jemima and Ben are nursing dark and deep secrets - secrets of an unusual and unexpected kind. Attracted and repelled by each other they slowly work their way through a host of trials and tribulations before the tale's satisfying conclusion.

Add a under-card of supporting characters including the vile and manipulative Saskia and you have a deeply entertaining read.

Jemima Hutton makes belt buckles, and that leads her into the guitar store owned by Ben Davies. They both have secrets, and they both need someone.

My thoughts:

What can I say, it was real. I like this kind of romance. You know where a couple meet, are friends, and then something slowly builds up. It is real, it's life, there are doubts, and there is love.

Jemima is young woman trying to build a life. She is nice, but she is also broken. Why we do not know. But there are hints, something has hPlot:

Jemima Hutton makes belt buckles, and that leads her into the guitar store owned by Ben Davies. They both have secrets, and they both need someone.

My thoughts:

What can I say, it was real. I like this kind of romance. You know where a couple meet, are friends, and then something slowly builds up. It is real, it's life, there are doubts, and there is love.

Jemima is young woman trying to build a life. She is nice, but she is also broken. Why we do not know. But there are hints, something has happened in her past. That alone could have kept me reading, I do like secrets. Then there is Ben, a former celebrity from a band bigger than Coldplay. Why he suddenly left no one knows. He has issues too, and I though that I knew why while reading, but the truth is never that simple. His secret made me want to read on too. These two needed each other. Their way to romance was slow, but truthful, and it made me the happier when they took small steps.

There are also two side characters, Jason who shares a studio with Jemima. He was fun, and Rosie with her newborn son Harry. She was sweet and now I kind of want her story. And of course we need someone not to like and in comes Saskia, the resident bad guy. She does not want to sell Jemima's belt buckles anymore, she seems to have a stick up her ass, and she demands too much from Rosie (who makes handmade cards and sells them in Saskia's store). Something fishy is going on there, so there is a third mystery that makes the plot go forward.

This book had a mix of everything, and there was warmth, true friendship and feelings about loss and trying to hide who one really is. I could not put it down, I had to read on. It was a fast read, and wonderful read too.

Final thoughts and recommendation:

I would recommend this one, it is not contemporary romance with whirlwind romances in a day, and big jealousy dramas. It's a more truthful look at a couple finding each other and opening up. While dealing with life. It was a wonderful book that I did not want to stop reading, and I do want to read more by this author.

Reason for reading:

I like Choc-lit books, Brit romances are fun :)

Cover:

Nice, but it does make me think about what her belt buckles really look like with all those stones on it.

Jemima Hutton needs to keep her past a secret. She knows if it gets out, her new friends wouldn’t want anything to do with her. She is determined to build a successful life, and is having good luck with her jewelry making business, until her lucky streak ends. When she meets the reclusive Ben Davies at his guitar shop, she begs him to stock her jewelry, and he agrees. As Jemima and Ben’s friendship grows, Jemima knows Ben is hiding a secret. He used to be a rock star, front man of a popular bandJemima Hutton needs to keep her past a secret. She knows if it gets out, her new friends wouldn’t want anything to do with her. She is determined to build a successful life, and is having good luck with her jewelry making business, until her lucky streak ends. When she meets the reclusive Ben Davies at his guitar shop, she begs him to stock her jewelry, and he agrees. As Jemima and Ben’s friendship grows, Jemima knows Ben is hiding a secret. He used to be a rock star, front man of a popular band and touring all over the world. Why is he now hiding out in a guitar shop, using a different name and pretending to not care about his past? But Ben also knows Jemima is hiding something, and as their friendship grows, the more Jemima becomes terrified her past will come out.

Please Don’t Stop the Music by Jane Lovering was an eye-opening book. My favorite part of this novel is that the main character is so different from what I usually read. Her background is dirty, messy, heart-breaking. I love reading about strong woman, and Jemima captured my attention from the first chapter. The villain in the story plays a large part throughout, and Lovering effectively made me hate her then love her all within a very short amount of time. There was just one scenario in the book that I just could not give credit too, when the mystery father of Jemima’s friend and roommate is announced. I won’t give any spoilers here, but I couldn’t really buy into that story. Other than that, the ending had me crying over the hard lessons the characters learned and the emotional turmoil they were going through, and I could feel the passion in the writing. A definite recommendation from me. ...more

Jemima has a dark secret. The scars from her past stop her from settling down. Ben has secrets of his own. When Jemima goes to Ben’s shop to ask him to stock her jewellery, they recognise something in each other.

Please Don’t Stop the Music is too dark to be considered chic lit. The deeply damaged hero and heroine, arson, postnatal depression, the peculiar mystery of what Saskia is up to, all combine to make it a compelling read. With all that, you’d expect it to be a bit of a depressing read, bJemima has a dark secret. The scars from her past stop her from settling down. Ben has secrets of his own. When Jemima goes to Ben’s shop to ask him to stock her jewellery, they recognise something in each other.

Please Don’t Stop the Music is too dark to be considered chic lit. The deeply damaged hero and heroine, arson, postnatal depression, the peculiar mystery of what Saskia is up to, all combine to make it a compelling read. With all that, you’d expect it to be a bit of a depressing read, but it isn’t. The characters are vivid. The comedy is mainly through the way the characters interact with each other (no ditzy heroine slapstick here!) and the dialogue is witty. Jemima is likeable and believable, even if you want to shake her sometimes. Ben is so damaged you just want to wrap him in a blanket and take him home. The ending is not quite your traditional happily ever after, but it’s upbeat and full of hope. This is a good book; well written and thought provoking. I really enjoyed it....more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.Please Don't Stop The Music was a good, well written read.

There was one issue I had with it though. Be warned that this is a big spoiler!

When Ben said that there wasn't anything that could be done to help his hearing I was seriously annoyed. I'm not an Audiologist, I'm a Speech Pathologist otherwise known as a speech language therapist but I know a fair bit about audiology since we had a fair bit of it taught to us at university. So anyway, one thing I know without a doubt is that there is a waPlease Don't Stop The Music was a good, well written read.

There was one issue I had with it though. Be warned that this is a big spoiler!

When Ben said that there wasn't anything that could be done to help his hearing I was seriously annoyed. I'm not an Audiologist, I'm a Speech Pathologist otherwise known as a speech language therapist but I know a fair bit about audiology since we had a fair bit of it taught to us at university. So anyway, one thing I know without a doubt is that there is a way to completely bypass the middle ear and transmit sound directly to the cochlear. Audiologists use it for assessment purposes to find out if a hearing loss problem is situated within the middle ear or otherwise. Its a simple method of putting the sound vibrations on the bone of skull just behind the ear. Therefore, I seriously doubt that if the hearing loss was only about the middle ear, that his hearing couldn't be enabled through this type of aid.

This lack of research annoyed me since it was an integral part to the whole plot. If your going to make it a pivotal plot complication, make sure you know what your talking about!...more

Please Don’t Stop The Music was an incredible novel about a retired rock star. It was completely original, surprising and romantic. I have read a lot of rock star novels recently, but this one stood out. In my opinion, this was a one of kind story.

Please Don’t Stop The Music was an incredible novel about a retired rock star. It was completely original, surprising and romantic. I have read a lot of rock star novels recently, but this one stood out. In my opinion, this was a one of kind story.

I absolutely adored Jemima and Ben’s story. Their secrets were shocking and heartbreaking, but also inspirational. I was stunned and extremely pleased with their big reveals. A lot of times authors build up the reveal so much that by the time you find out what is really going on it’s disappointing. That wasn’t the case with Jemima and Ben.

While reading this novel, I was also super intrigued by the supporting story surrounding a horrible woman named Saskia. I won’t tell you what happened with this story, but I will say that I was disappointed with the big reveal in this storyline. It was unrealistic and a stretch. It just wasn’t believable.

This novel is told by Jemima’s viewpoint and Ben’s journal entries. His entries were short and scarce, but they were crucial to this story. They were raw, honest, and touching. They brought tears to my eyes and made me root for him. His journal entries were what made me fall in love with him

I gave Please Don’t Stop The Music by Jane Lovering 4 STARS. I got really wrapped up in this novel; I couldn’t put it down. I strongly recommend this novel to adults.

There was no other way to start this review, I can't believe it took me so long to pick it up and read - I loved it!

Jane Lovering's style of writing is fun and extremely easy to read. I found myself sitting down to read it and easily reading 3/4 chapters without realising it. The story flowed really nicely and I warmed straight away to the characters, (well, not to Saskia, but you will know why when you read the book!)

I am an avid follower of Jane Lovering on her blWow, what a fantastic book!

There was no other way to start this review, I can't believe it took me so long to pick it up and read - I loved it!

Jane Lovering's style of writing is fun and extremely easy to read. I found myself sitting down to read it and easily reading 3/4 chapters without realising it. The story flowed really nicely and I warmed straight away to the characters, (well, not to Saskia, but you will know why when you read the book!)

I am an avid follower of Jane Lovering on her blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts, and as soon as I read the first line of the book, I knew it was going to be good. Her writing style is unique, witty and very sarcastic at times, which is great. It is exactly how she writes on her blog, and so it was refreshing to know it came from her heart.

So, the story. Well, it is about a young woman, Jemima, who runs a jewellery making business. She works extremely hard so that she can forget her dark, murky past; of which we do not find out what it is until later in the book. (And it's a good'un!) She then meets mysterious Ben Davies, who also has a few dark secrets of his own. They form an unlikely friendship and when Jemima starts asking questions, she then realises that she can no longer keep her own past a secret if she wants to know about his...

A lovely story with well rounded characters and a great ending. I really look forward to reading Jane's next book!...more

I ignored everyone and everything around me until I had read Please Don’t Stop the Music from cover to cover in one sitting. It wasn’t only the promised Dark Secrets that were responsible for this, but also the characters. In Jane’s book, they’re refreshingly different to the ones you often find between the pages of a romantic novel. The characters in Please Don’t Stop the Music are very much an “alternative” cast: they certainly don’t have perfect lives, nor are they perfect themselves. These aI ignored everyone and everything around me until I had read Please Don’t Stop the Music from cover to cover in one sitting. It wasn’t only the promised Dark Secrets that were responsible for this, but also the characters. In Jane’s book, they’re refreshingly different to the ones you often find between the pages of a romantic novel. The characters in Please Don’t Stop the Music are very much an “alternative” cast: they certainly don’t have perfect lives, nor are they perfect themselves. These are flawed human beings with problems, handicaps or baggage. I loved that about them because they were all the more real for it.

The main character, Jemima Hutton, is a gifted jewellery artist who wields sarcasm about her like a ferocious ninja in skinny jeans. This defence mechanism helps protect someone who is a flawed and deeply troubled young woman, continually on the run from her past. While searching for stockists for her jewellery, she meets the enigmatic Ben Davies, who now works in a music shop but was once in an indie band. As their friendship develops, it threatens to upset her coping mechanisms and force her to share her secrets with him. But Ben’s also keeping a secret of his own and Jemima has a similar impact on him. How he feels about this is cleverly conveyed through extracts from a journal he keeps.

Please Don’t Stop the Music is funny, poignant and heartbreaking in places. I really felt for the characters, both because of what they had gone through and what they were having to deal with now, as a result of their pasts. Jane handles her characters’ stories with great understanding and dexterity and, for me, it’s a fantastic example of how to sensitively incorporate disabilities and troubled backgrounds into romantic fiction. Before you start thinking that the book is altogether too dark for you, it’s not. I laughed a lot too. Jane puts her wonderfully unique sense of humour to very effective use throughout.

Please Don’t Stop the Music was an exhilarating and lively read because it was so full of life. Real life. It feels like a fresh take on romantic fiction because this is something that could happen to people that you or I might know in the real world. It’s a book about friendships, about how they change, grow and develop, and, most of all, about how important they are, and can be, in all our lives. I know that I’ll remember these characters and their story long after closing the book on them. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, my first Jane Lovering novel, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next. In the meantime, I’ll be checking out her back catalogue until the next exciting new release from her....more

Secrets push friends and lovers apart. Secrets make life unbearable. Secrets keep Jemima running from her past. It doesn’t matter how far she runs, her past always lurks like a dark shadow in the background. A quiet country village is full of secrets. Jemima believes she is the only one hiding something. She doesn’t know how wrong she is.

Jemima makes ornate jewellery, but when her main customer cancels her order it leaves her in a state of shock. She takes her wares into York and after a disheaSecrets push friends and lovers apart. Secrets make life unbearable. Secrets keep Jemima running from her past. It doesn’t matter how far she runs, her past always lurks like a dark shadow in the background. A quiet country village is full of secrets. Jemima believes she is the only one hiding something. She doesn’t know how wrong she is.

Jemima makes ornate jewellery, but when her main customer cancels her order it leaves her in a state of shock. She takes her wares into York and after a disheartening day of rejection she finds a small music shop. Ben, the owner, is willing to take one of her belt buckles on approval. Her future meetings with Ben are startling as his moods swing from one extreme to another but they do eventually become friends.

Life gets worse for Jem as her business starts to fall apart. Her feelings for Ben and her friendship with her flatmate Rosie and Jason the artist, make her wonder if it’s time to move on - away from the past which keeps nudging at her mind.

The four main characters of this book are well defined and strong. Jem’s past and Ben’s reasons for his way of living do not weaken them. Their secrets are well hidden and not revealed until the right time, and even then I felt there was more behind the secrets - and I was right. Inevitably two of the four fall in love, but who falls for whom and is their love reciprocated by the correct person?

The minor characters are very much individuals. They have their own stories. Jason is a hoot, a minor celebrity who uses his status to his own advantage. Rosie is wrapped up in her young son, but at times it all becomes too much for her. Jem’s softer side kicks in to help her friend.

I enjoyed this book. Very much an even keel, with no sudden surprises, but nice to read. The author handled the hidden past very well. She didn’t keep referring to secrets on every other page. Instead she slotted the teasers nicely into the story to provide me with something to look forward to several chapters later. A pleasant story to read on a lazy afternoon.

This is the third title by Jane Lovering that I have read and reviewed here and that is because Jane found me, rather than me discovering her writing for myself. I am so pleased she did as otherwise I may never have read one of her books. The first one was Reversing Over Liberace which I reviewed last October. The second one was Slightly Foxed I enjoyed the latter as much if not slightly more, as it was realistic, the first one I had found somewhat farcical. At last I have got round to reading PThis is the third title by Jane Lovering that I have read and reviewed here and that is because Jane found me, rather than me discovering her writing for myself. I am so pleased she did as otherwise I may never have read one of her books. The first one was Reversing Over Liberace which I reviewed last October. The second one was Slightly Foxed I enjoyed the latter as much if not slightly more, as it was realistic, the first one I had found somewhat farcical. At last I have got round to reading Please Don't Stop the Music, which I read in just two afternoon sessions in the garden, because it is a real page turner which I enjoyed more than the previous two. Prior to reading this and with my previous experience of her writing I must admit I had wondered about it winning the 2012 Romantic Novel of the Year Award, now I understand why. This novel is so much more than just another romance, there is an underlying current of mystery which found me racing through it to discover what happened.

The novel is full of secrets that will keep you guessing, some you may guess correctly others not, but the author certainly managed to hold my attention by keeping these secrets back for so long. The main characters both have secrets in their past but this did not make it seem any less realistic. At first I thought it was going to as both protagonists seemed so traumatised. Jemima who more than once in the novel was on the verge of running away when she felt her dark secret was in danger of being discovered. Then the man she meets through her jewellery business, Ben is also hiding something which is why he lives such a solitary life. Of course it is no surprise that Jemima and Ben become curious about each other, so how long will it be before their secrets are revealed, whether intentionally or otherwise.None of the secondary characters have straightforward lives either, but somehow this made the story more mysterious and it works.

Jane Lovering was born in Devon, England but, following extradition procedures, now lives in Yorkshire. She has five children, four cats, two dogs and doesn't believe in housework so the bacteria and dust are approaching sentience and now rank among the pets. Incidentally, she doesn’t believe in ironing either, and the children all learned self-defensive cookery at early ages. She works in a localJane Lovering was born in Devon, England but, following extradition procedures, now lives in Yorkshire. She has five children, four cats, two dogs and doesn't believe in housework so the bacteria and dust are approaching sentience and now rank among the pets. Incidentally, she doesn’t believe in ironing either, and the children all learned self-defensive cookery at early ages. She works in a local school and also teaches creative writing, which are extreme ways of avoiding the washing up.

Published since 2008, she writes romantic comedies which are often described as ‘quirky’. One day she's going to find out what that means. Jane is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and has a first class honours degree in creative writing. In 2012, her novel Please Don't Stop the Music won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the RNA....more